"Where's the gas?"
On the first floor, the SEALs surrounded the woman—she was the only living person left on site.
"They… moved it…"
The woman answered with difficulty. Likely from intense pain, she paused to steady herself before continuing in a slow, shaky voice, "Once my cover was blown, they moved the gas out of here..."
The team exchanged looks—mission failed. The woman believed it was her exposure that triggered the gas relocation, but the SEALs knew it could just as well have been the Sarayev operation that tipped them off.
But the real question remained: where had the VX gas gone?
...
That night, Owen returned with the SEALs to Team Six's training base. A day later, he was back in Los Angeles.
The VX nerve agent issue had hit a standstill. The Chechens had moved it, but it was unclear whether it had already been handed over to the Persian Gulf Will. The group's whereabouts remained unknown, and CTU had zero actionable intel. For now, Owen had nothing to do.
The woman's identity would be verified by the appropriate channels, and the CIA would handle everything from there.
Owen first took a long, well-earned rest. He'd been on back-to-back missions, surviving on catnaps aboard planes, and exhaustion had been catching up to him for a while.
Once rested, he made a trip to CTU—partly to complete some final handovers, partly to say goodbye. Though this wasn't necessarily a final farewell, future reunions would surely be rare.
CTU Los Angeles
Stepping into the building, everything looked just as it always had. Same layout, same faces—but Owen had changed. CTU was no longer his workplace.
Under Tony's leadership, CTU Los Angeles felt very different from the Jack Bauer era. Back then, the office had been stiflingly tense. Day or night, the place buzzed with frantic energy as if there were always a thousand fires to put out.
Tony's CTU, by contrast, felt more efficient—and more human. Still busy, but friendlier, more team-oriented.
Seeing Owen arrive, Chloe and several field ops agents came forward to greet him. Everyone knew he had transferred to a new department.
After a round of handshakes and farewells, Owen went upstairs to Tony's office.
Ten minutes later, he walked out carrying a box of personal items. The golden hues of sunset bathed the building, marking not just the end of a day, but the close of a chapter—and the start of another.
...
That evening, in Owen's apartment, he lay on the bed with Monica in his arms watching TV. Only, Monica wasn't exactly focused on the screen.
Aren't women supposed to love Gossip Girl? Wouldn't it be better to snuggle quietly and enjoy the show? So why had things shifted to steamy foreplay?
As Monica wriggled closer, Owen started to panic a bit. Her persistence made it clear—she wasn't letting him off the hook tonight. But his back ached. Lady, did you already forget what we did last night?
Just as Monica was about to get her way, Owen quickly grabbed her wandering hand and changed the subject in desperation.
"Baby, I've got something I want to talk to you about..."
"What?"
Her voice was muffled—her attention clearly elsewhere.
"This is really important to me. Super important."
"Okay, okay. Go on..."
Monica finally sat upright, albeit begrudgingly, ready to listen.
"You know I'm heading up the CTU Rapid Response Team now..."
Monica nodded.
"I'm short on people. I want you to join me."
"Me?"
She pointed at herself, surprised.
Owen nodded. "Not just you—I want to bring the whole ASH team over..."
Monica's eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she smiled. "You want to poach all of SWAT's old A-Team? Womack's going to kill you..."
Owen shrugged. "Let him take it up with Jack Bauer. I'm not worried."
"You're serious?"
"Dead serious."
Seeing Owen wasn't joking, Monica's eyes darted about—clearly weighing the pros and cons.
Sensing an opening, Owen turned on the charm. He took her hand in his. "Baby, don't you miss working together? We've always had amazing chemistry in the field..."
He wasn't lying. Whether in the police force, CTU, or with the SEALs, Monica had always been Owen's most intuitive and effective partner—even before their relationship became personal.
Monica's eyes lit up. "Mmm, it's tempting. But it's a big decision. I'll have to see... how you perform."
She winked playfully.
Owen swallowed nervously. Damn. Looks like I'm making sacrifices tonight. Jack, you better get me a raise...
By the time Owen lay exhausted and half-dead, Monica had given her word. The Rapid Response Team now had its third member. As team leader, Owen felt like he'd earned it the hard way.
But Monica only spoke for herself. If he wanted the others, Owen would have to convince them personally. Monica agreed to help set up the meeting.
That night, Owen met his old crew at Wildcat Bar.
After some casual conversation, Owen pitched his idea.
"Guys, I promise the benefits are better than the FBI. You'll get bonuses for every op, unrestricted access to gear, educational benefits for your kids after a few years of service, plus tax-free stipends..."
He laid out everything he had. Purely in terms of compensation, it was clearly better than what the FBI offered—especially since they were stationed at a local field office with limited resources, unlike CTU's national elite unit.
The sudden proposition caught them off guard. Heat and Castle both looked to ASH.
ASH looked at the team, then at Owen—then turned to Monica.
Monica understood the unspoken question and nodded. "I've already agreed to join Owen. Sorry, ASH..."
ASH shook her head. "It's fine, Monica. That's your personal decision. I respect that. But Owen, I have to turn you down. Womack and I go way back. I promised him I'd help rebuild A-Team..."
"Sorry, Owen," Castle and Heat added. "If ASH is staying, so are we. We're used to it by now."
Owen nodded silently. "No problem, guys. This is your choice—and everyone's got their own path. I'll find someone else."
He'd known from the start that ASH probably wouldn't leave the FBI. She had built the reputation of the L.A. FBI SWAT team from the ground up. Walking away wasn't easy. She had the charisma and leadership to keep her team with her. If not for his unique bond with Monica, even she might not have come.
...
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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